Mecklenburg survey: Number of homeless has dropped

A three-day survey conducted late last month by a coalition of social services agencies has found that the number of homeless people living on the streets in Mecklenburg County has decreased over the past year.

Leaders of the survey, conducted across Mecklenburg County, released results Friday and said they found 171 homeless people living outdoors. That compared with 283 in a study last year and 314 in a survey four years ago.

“Our methodology has changed, but we believe the survey has found a decrease in the number of homeless,” said Liz Clasen-Kelly, a leader of the Point In Time Count. “We know 171 is too many, but we are making progress.”

Volunteers from a variety of organizations fanned out across county, checking at reported campsites of the homeless. Clasen-Kelly said a number of those sites were vacant but she said bitter cold (temperatures were in the teens) probably sent some of the homeless to shelters.

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